Wings
by MaskedNightmare
Summary: Time has changed FernGully, the humans move closer every day and the fairies need to learn how to live with them or perish. The unwilling Pips is sent to find out how other fairies have managed to survive. His journey takes him far from FG. Pips/Cornelius
1. Chapter 1

Thank you all so much for your support and I hope that you enjoy this story!

Pips frowned at Crysta and asked in annoyance "You wanna run that by me again?" He and Crysta were still the best of friends, but things had changed since she had taken the Wise Woman's place. She was always so busy with her work in the forest and protecting it from the humans. That was fine with him, though he missed the times they had together he understood that neither of them had much of a choice. He was still able to live his life as he always had, at least until today when she was asking him to travel far away and visit with other fairies.

Crysta shook her head, she had known that Pips wasn't going to like this idea but she couldn't go herself and there was no one else who was strong enough to fly the distance. "Pips try to understand, there are other fairies out there, and they live with human's every day! Surely they have some ideas of how to live with them but still protect the plants. Her dark hair was as wild as it had been when she was an apprentice to Magi, but she had grown it out now it brushed along her back and was filled with braids and some flowers. She hoped Pips would understand the importance of this mission, but he wasn't one for change.

The passing of time had affected Pips as well though not as noticeably. He was more apt to be responsible, though he still was set in the ways of his youth, his hair remained its orange/red hue and his eyes were still light almost neon green with excitement for life. He sighed and turned away from his friend. He understood Crysta's point but the rainforest was his home, this was where he belonged. He slowly turned and realized that he wouldn't have a choice when he saw her pleading face. "How far away are you talking?" He asked, resigned to his fate.

Several thousand miles later Pips was cursing Crysta's name as he rested his tired legs. She wanted him to travel as far as he could to find other fairies and talk with them. Find out how they were able to live so closely with the humans and still maintain their duties. He sighed and rested his legs were exaughsted and he knew that he was reaching his limit. He told himself he would speak with one more group of fairies before returning to FernGully and telling Crysta what he had learned. He noticed the signs of fairy life and followed them to what was locally known as the 'Veil of the Fairies'.

Tabitha smiled down at the exotic looking young man. His hair was the most brightly colored she had ever seen in her years as Queen. He had purple and red bands on his upper left arm and wore only a strange looking bottom that looked as if it were made of only a few bright yellow flower petals. She and her husband Colbert were listening to this strange fairy as he explained he was from a far off land called FernGully. The fairies in FernGully had until recently actually believed that the humans had died out. Now that the humans were once again living close or even near FernGully the fairies were seeking wisdom on how to live with them.

The young man called himself Pips and she thought him very charming and honorable for traveling so far from his home in order to help their leader, a Wise Woman named Crysta. She sighed and fanned herself with a golden leaf that matched her golden dress as she cast a long glance at her son's empty throne. Cornelius could certainly learn a thing or two from such a fairy. She smiled slowly as an idea settled in her mind to be used later.

Colbert saw the calculating look in his wife's eyes and sighed resigned to allow her to do as she wished. He looked down at the handsome young man and knew what his wife was planning. Their son was a wild young man but Colbert knew it was because he was young and restless. He shook his head as he ran his fingers through his long fading red beard. He would let his wife play her games and see what came of them.

Pips found this group of fairies the strangest ones he had met yet. They seemed to cover almost every inch of their bodies with strange heavy clothing. He noticed that much of this court was dressed in gold colored clothing. When he asked an attendant it was explained that it was the season where the leaves changed colors. An event called 'The Golding of the Leaves' was to take place tonight. Pips had never heard of such a season before. The eager fairy continued to explain that after the Golding the leaves would start to wither and fall, after the last leaf fell the cold would come and the fairies would go into hiding when winter came. Pips shook his head words such as 'Ice' and 'Snow' held no meaning for him. He decided that this land was as strange as the fairies in it.

His attention was taken when the Queen and King had finished discussing the matter. For some reason the smile on the Queen's face unsettled him. "We have decided that our son Cornelius will show you around our Kingdom and explain our ways to you." She smiled and said "You should stay with us through the winter; it will be too dangerous for you to fly." Pips still didn't understand this 'winter' thing, but apparently it was a big deal to these fairies. He knew he had no choice but to bow politely and accept the Queen's decision. He felt a pang in his heart when he realized that he would be away from FernGully for a while longer.

Soon Pips understood the 'Golding of the Leaves' the entire court was assembled for the event as the Queen and King flew around changing the colors. He shook his head at this strange custom but took note on how they worked at night to lessen the risk of being seen by humans. He knew that it would be easy enough for the fairies at FernGully to work at night and added this to his information. He noticed that the King and Queen were discussing something and the Queen seemed to be upset. He smirked as he flew closer. He had been too uptight lately and he was aching to have some fun.

"Oh my dear." The Queen said to herself before turning to her husband "Don't look now dear husband, but our son is missing again." The way she said this led Pips to believe this was not the first time the young prince had pulled a vanishing act. He remembered not seeing the prince at the court earlier today and smirked wondering if that was a common occurrence as well.

The King gave a resigned sigh as he said to his wife "So he is…" He knew that his son constantly disappearing upset his wife, but in this instance he understood why. "I think he feels a bit silly riding that white butterfly we gave him." He had tried to talk his wife out of getting it but she was so set on it that nothing he could do would dissuade her.

The Queen frowned as she turned to look at her husband "Why should he feel silly?" Her frown deepened when the King answered "I-It doesn't make the right impression on the ladies." Colbert grabbed a small leaf from a passing bush and handed it to his wife so that she could fan herself.

"What about the impression on the court!" She demanded as she fanned "Colbert my love it is the Autumn today! And we have begun the 'Golding of the Leaves'! He should be here! He'll hurt himself! I just hope he isn't riding the veils on that wretched Bumblebee! He is the crowned Prince for heaven's sake!"

Pips smiled in amusement before flying to the Queen's side. He noticed that the energy surrounding his legs when he flew attracted quite a bit of attention from the court. He tried to explain that his wings helped him direct where he wanted to fly, but his actual power for flying came from his legs which channeled the energy from mother earth. He noticed that most of these fairies could float on their wings, but preferred to ride insects instead. He wondered if this was because they had lost touch with the earth or if it was something else.

He shook his head, he was distracting himself "You said earlier that the Prince would be the one to show me around…perhaps I should go out and find him for you? To make sure that he is safe?" He smiled; eavesdropping came in handy every now and then. He had also heard that the Prince preferred to ride a Bumblebee and he had noticed one flying by after the Queen and King had passed. The Queen's eyes brightened as she encouraged this idea. Pip left with a sigh of relief, the Court folk were very nice, but much too formal for his tastes.

He narrowed his eyes as he looked in the direction of where the Bumblebee went. He smirked and followed after. This Prince was the most interesting person he had seen so far, and he hadn't even met him yet! He found the Bumblebee on a windowsill and saw what he assumed was the prince inside talking to a wingless fairy. He frowned wondering over that before returning his attention to the Prince.

Pips smirked in amusement as the young Prince did some very clumsy flirting with the wingless fairy. He shook his head but then frowned when the two were cornered by a large beast. He remembered that it was called a dog and that humans often kept them near. He wondered if he would have to go in and intervene but the matter was soon handled as the two introduced themselves and bowed to calm the dog. Pips smiled to himself "Cornelius eh?" He agreed with the one called Thumbelina that it was a funny name. Personally though he knew neither of them could talk.

Pips was getting bored of this and hoped they would do something interesting soon. He smirked when he saw that the Prince was clearly infatuated with the clueless looking girl. He shook his head remembering when he had been infatuated with Crysta. The Prince offered the girl a ride on the Bumblebee and he smiled "Finally some action." He said to himself, following after and enjoying his little spying adventure.

The Prince and Thumbelina flew around a nearby steam. He watched as they seemed to be dancing in air. It was then he noticed that the Fairy Prince flew a lot more than the other's at the court. His wings were strong and strange golden dust fell from them as he flew about. He heard the two whisper loving words to each other but shook his head. "It's just a little crush Kid." He said softly to advise the infatuated prince. He followed after them when Cornelius returned Thumbelina to her home. More sweet words were exchanged and before the Prince could even get a kiss the King and Queen appeared nearby calling for him. He exchanged quick but tender goodbyes with Thumbelina before flying off. Pips realized he would have to get to the King and Queen first or else the Prince would know that he had been followed.

Pips flew at top speed and sighed in relief when he arrived before the Prince. He bowed to the Queen when she asked if he had found her son and hesitated only a second before answering "I did not find him your highness, perhaps his Bumblebee was too fast for me." He hid his smirk at his own joke when the prince arrived. Pips saw that the young man's face was flushed from his recent encounter and shook his head. He wondered if he had ever been that foolishly in love before. He decided he might have, but he had hidden it far better.

The Queen narrowed her eyes when her son arrived, he had a strange look in his eyes, his face was flush and he was breathless. The thing that worried her the most however was that smile on his face. 'Oh please don't tell me…' She thought. She was not as clueless about her son as her husband sometimes seemed to believe. Her son was in love, but that simply would not do! He couldn't be! Not so young and certainly not now. Only a few seconds after this thought her son confirmed her worst fears.

"Mother, Father…" Cornelius said as he stepped forward, trying to collect himself as he spoke to his parents in front of the entire court "I have found the girl I'm going to Marry!" This statement was met with gasps of shock and some of the court ladies wailed in disappointment. However it was the Queen who stole the show by appearing to faint.

Tabitha had learned early on in her rein that if she wanted time to think she had only pretend to faint; her husband was used to this trick of hers and so was ready to catch her. She let the ladies in waiting fan her as she came up with a plan. She knew that others would not be happy with it but she simply could not let her son throw his life away by marrying some nameless girl he had only just met. She sat up and her husband must have realized what she was planning as his grip tightened on her arm, but she ignored the silent warning.

Pips was hiding his amusement at the court's reaction. The prince was young and had just met his first love. Surely none of them were taking this seriously? But as he looked around he realized that they were far stricter than FernGully, in FernGully love was proclaimed every day and they just accepted it. It seemed here however it was a more serious matter. He took this time to look over the prince closely.

The Prince appeared as strange as the rest of them, his costume was red shoes with yellow orange tights a red tunic with a green gem and soft yellow sleeves. Pips wondered at such a crazy ensemble before even getting to the Prince's hair, it seemed shorter on the back of his head and neck then it was on the front and top looking as though someone had nicked him with a razor. Pips shook his head and thought that the Prince should be lucky to get any girl to marry him dressed in such a way. Pips unfortunately had no idea what the Queen was currently up to.

Cornelius had been prepared for the court's and even his mother's reaction. He just waited for it to pass when he noticed a stranger in the court. Cornelius could not stop himself from blushing at the expanse of lightly tanned skin the stranger had exposed. Cornelius thought to himself that this was the most exotic looking person he had ever seen. A strange yellow cover on his waist was all he had on to be decent, he had bands of purple and red on his arm and his hair was outrageously long and brilliantly colored. Cornelius noticed that this man seemed to be amused with the Court's reaction, his firm hands coming up and covering his laughing mouth as his light green eyes sparkled in amusement. Cornelius was almost thinking this man was wildly beautiful when he remembered he was in love with Thumbelina.

He closed his eyes as he remembered Thumbelina's soft beauty, but the sharp colors of the stranger made her seem almost plain. Cornelius shook his head and opened his eyes when he noticed that his mother had recovered. He steeled himself against whatever she had to say. He had proclaimed his intentions in front of the entire court, and unless his mother had already been planning to marry him to someone else there was very little she could do.

Tabitha looked between the wild stranger and her foolish son. This idea had been in her head the moment she had met the exotic Pips. She crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her son "I'm sorry my son but I cannot allow that." The court went silent to see what the Queen would do, it was known that the Prince had no intended and so there was little she could do to stop him, at least until they saw the slow smile on her face.

Cornelius was ready to stand against his mother and said "You have no other to offer me, my choice stands." He felt a trickle of foreboding go down his spine when he saw his mother's smile.

"If you had been in court today my son you would know otherwise, your father and I intend to betroth you to Pips."

Two voices answered "WHAT!?"

Hope you enjoyed the beginning!


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for everyone's review! I hope that you all continue to enjoy the story!

Pips and Cornelius both looked up at Queen Tabitha without comprehension. However when the rest of the Court realized what she had said they immediately began to celebrate. All the fairies rushed to the betrotheds and wishing them well. Cornelius and Pips soon found themselves surrounded by well wishing fairies and exchanged glances before the Prince remembered something very important.

Cornelius had been stunned with shock at his mother's announcement and was almost swept away with the Court's merriment when he remembered what he had done last night. He cast a quick glance at Pips and it seemed as if the exotic fairy was as flustered as he was by the sudden announcement. Cornelius however had a solution; he pressed through the crowed and went before his mother who was still sitting smugly on her throne. He narrowed his eyes and said "I cannot accept this offer, for I have already given my ring to Thumbelina."

It was Queen Tabitha's turn to feel shock as blood drained from her face when she looked down at the bare finger of her son. She felt her nails digging into the wood of her throne as she said slowly "Very well my son, if you can bring this…girl to the court before the Spring I will accept her as your bride and your betrothal with Pips will be cancelled." She sat back in her throne, wondering how she would stop this travesty from happening.

Tabitha knew that Cornelius planned to set out the next morning to get this girl, Thumbelina, she had until then to make sure that the girl was not where he left her. She nodded to her King before quickly flying off without either the Court or her son noticing. She had some friends in the swamp that might be very interested in this Thumbelina.

The next morning Cornelius was loading his Bumblebee with gifts to bring Thumbelina before taking her to the Court and his parents. Pips had gotten over the shock of being betrothed without his consent when he realized the Prince had a way of stopping it. He rolled his eyes as he watched the young prince fumble around and came over, picking up some of the presents that had fallen "Need help?" He asked.

Cornelius had been too focused on getting all the presents for Thumbelina onto his Bumblebee that he hadn't realized he wasn't alone. He turned with a blush when he found the exotic Pips standing so close to him. He saw the gifts in Pip's arms and couldn't help but notice how much more muscle he had. Cornelius turned away afraid there might be a blush on his cheeks as he said "If you would like, besides, mother would probably think it indecent if Thumbelina and I traveled without an escort."

With that Pips got on the Bumblebee and they took off for Thumbelina's home. When they arrived Cornelius could not even wait for the Bumblebee to come to a complete stop before jumping off and pulling off the small helmet he had worn. Pips watched in amusement and followed after making a more graceful descent as the Prince called for Thumbelina.

"Thumbelina! Thumbelina! It's me!" Cornelius looked around in confusion when he heard no answer and said softly "Where are you?" He then gave a small gasp when he noticed the state the room was in. He felt panic in his heart when he remembered how small Thumbelina was and that she had no wings to save her from large falling objects.

Pips frowned when he saw the state of the room and didn't bother to stop the prince from flying off in search of his beloved. Pips followed after carefully checking under fallen items as the Prince talked with the dog Pips had seen the night before.

Cornelius smiled at the dog that seemed to be wailing in misery, his smile slowly faded as the dog told him that Thumbelina had been kidnapped by a toad. "Oh no…" He said softly, he knew very well how toads were and if Thumbelina was with them it would be hard to find since they loved to move around, and they were very determined to keep anything they thought was theirs.

Pips was almost unable to catch up with the Prince as Cornelius darted off to his Bumblebee "I'm going to find her!" He declared, showing off his blade before sliding it back into the safety of his sheath. "No Hero… you can't come with me." The Bumblebee fluttered impatiently and Cornelius had just enough time to say "Tell Thumbelina's mother everything will be okay!" Before flying off, Pips following close behind.

Pips followed the Prince keeping up easily with the Bumblebee "So do you have any idea where this girl of yours is?" He floated lazily, enjoying the breeze moving over his body and his long hair flying in the breeze. He did a loop before looking at the Prince curiously "Do you?"

Cornelius for a moment was thrown when he saw the beautiful green light that was encasing Pips's legs as he flew. He shook his head as he watched Pips do a flip, his light green eyes sparkling as his hair twirled in the breeze. He frowned remembering that he could not be distracted by this beautiful stranger. His heart belonged to Thumbelina who was currently lost and in need of his help.

"Hero said that she was taken by a Toad…hopefully we'll be able to find her in time." He tightened his grip on the bumblebee's antenna which brought a protest from his friend. He leaned down and gently caressed the bumblebee's fur in apology.

Pips raised a brow, wondering if the toads here were different from the ones in FernGully. His sharp eyes had not missed the gentle caress that the Prince gave his Bumblebee and for a moment Pips wondered what those hands would feel like. He nodded to the Prince and decided he might as well go along on this trip for fun if nothing else. He doubted that being in the court would be all that interesting and he knew there was little left for him to learn at this Court. He smiled to himself, the sooner Cornelius found Thumbelina the sooner he could return to FernGully.

Cornelius saw the peaceful smile cross Pips's face and wondered what could make the fairy smile like that. He wanted to ask but before he could he had reached his home, the Veil of the Fairies. Before he could go searching for Thumbelina he would need help from his parents.

Tabitha smiled to herself, glad that Senora Toad was able to take the girl off of her hands. However she hadn't planned on her son going after her. She hoped she could persuade her son from going and settle down with the handsome Pips "Oh Cornelius my sunshine, first you buzzed in here the other day, on that wretched thing. And announced to the entire court that you had found the girl of your dreams…and now you've come back to say she's vanished?"

Cornelius rubbed his face in frustration, he knew that what his mother was right to sound skeptical of his word, but she didn't know the truth of it "Kidnapped mother she was kidnapped!"

Tabitha made a face of disbelief as she held her hand over her heart and said "You're joking!" Her husband took her by the elbow and said warningly in her ear "Tabitha…" He knew very well the games his wife played, but he hoped she hadn't gone too far this time.

Cornelius turned to his father, hoping that he could help him this time "Father I need you to delay the winter frost as long as you can. I need time the find Thumbelina!" Without heeding the cries of his parents the Prince fixed on his helmet and took off on his bumblebee shouting so that the entire court could hear "I'll find her!"

Pips stayed where he stood, wondering if he should follow or not. His decision was made for him when he heard the Queen tell her husband that they couldn't delay the winter frost for more than a day. He sighed and wondered if Crysta had infected him with the desire to do the right thing. He turned to the King and Queen and said humbly "I will ensure his safe return." before flying off after the foolish Prince. He hoped that this adventure would be worth finding out about 'frost' and 'snow'.

As night fell Pips pulled up in front of the Bumblebee forcing the prince to come to a stop "Look, I don't know if this place is different from FernGully, but I think it's best if we only travel in the day time." He said that even though if one knew what they were doing at FernGully it was perfectly safe, however he didn't know this strange land and he didn't know if the Prince was able to think properly in this state.

Cornelius narrowed his eyes in challenge before he realized how tired his Bumblebee was. He stroked his hands on the antenna and said "Very well, we will rest for the night and continue on in the morning." They found a safe place to rest in a tree and gathered some food for their meal.

As they ate Cornelius noticed that Pips was looking around fascinated by everything. Finally his curiosity got the better of him and he asked slowly "Is here much different from where you come from?" He saw that peaceful smile once again cross Pips's face and realized that earlier Pips must have been thinking of his homeland. He wondered what else could make the handsome fairy smile so beautifully.

Pips leaned back against the tree and nodded "Very different, in FernGully it's always warm and temperate, and even at night there lights that guide your way, mushrooms that glow and rain that falls to give life." Pips was unable to ignore the pang in his hear that came from speaking of FernGully "It's to save FernGully that I have traveled so far away. The humans move closer every day and we want to protect it."

Cornelius was touched by the look of homesickness that crossed Pips's face, he wondered if he would ever miss the Veil of the Fairies that much and decided not. While there were some things about his home that he loved, he was always under his parent's watchful eyes and he was never truly free of their influence. He rested next to Pips and asked softly "Tell me more?" Wondering what life would be like, what freedoms he would have, if he lived in this FernGully.

The next morning Cornelius knew that the frost would be coming soon. The leaves were falling quickly and the wind had a chill to it foretelling what was to come. He flew frantically looking for any sign of Thumbelina. He called her name and was heedless of the falling leaves. Finally one caught him and knocked him off of the Bumblebee sending him down towards the ground, but before he could reach it he felt warm arms catch him and pull him against a strong chest.

Pips caught the Prince before he could fall too far and smirked as he said "Try to be careful okay? I doubt you'll be able to find her if you get killed." The loyal Bumblebee came over and hovered so that the prince could get on its back. Once he was back on the Prince noticed something strange. He was decently clothed and yet freezing because of the incoming frost. However this stranger with only the barest covering was warm. Cornelius was glad that the helmet hid his blush from that thought as he asked "How can you stand this cold?"

Pips smiled as he flew around so that the Prince could once again see his glowing legs "I channel energy from the earth as I fly, in FernGully it keeps me from getting too hot and here it keeps me from getting too cold…" Pips looked at the Prince curiously as he asked "Don't you know how?"

For some reason the question made Cornelius feel foolish and he quickly evaded it by saying "No time for that now we must find Thumbelina!" He flew off; spotting some Jitter Bugs whom he hoped might know where Thumbelina had gone.

He dismounted from his Bumble bee and removed his helmet and asked "I'm looking for a beautiful girl, her name is Thumbelina." He heard Pips come in after him and as usual Pips took an inconspicuous position leaning against the inside of the log. Cornelius didn't have any time to wonder as the Jitter Bugs answered that she had been with them. But had then been taken away by a Beetle, Cornelius's heart sank further when they said that there was also a toad after her and that she was out in the wilds somewhere.

Cornelius mounted his Bumblebee and took off, knowing that Pips was behind him he said "We must hurry; my father can't hold back the frost for long!"

More coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3 Final

Thank you all so much for reading this story, hope that you enjoyed the story.

The snow fell so heavily that the two fairies could no longer see their way. They had used Pips light to see ahead, but as the sky grew dark that small help proved useless. Still the Prince continued to press onward, desperate to find Thumbelina. Then he could return to the Veil of the Fairies and claim her as his bride. He told himself that it was to ensure their future happiness together, but in reality it was because with each passing day her gentle beauty faded in his mind and was replaced with the fiery Pips.

The wind picked up and Pips knew that they could not keep this up. He was about to tell the Prince this when the Bumblebee lost all control and dove towards the ground. Pips followed quickly after and just as the Bumblebee landed the Prince was knocked off by the force of snow landing on top of him. Pips's eyes widened when he saw the Prince falling towards the frozen pond. "No!"  
He shouted following after.

It happened so fast that Cornelius couldn't keep track, he winced in pain as he was thrown off of his Bumblebee's back and slid across the snowy ground. Before he could even give a sigh of relief he felt himself fall farther and his back arched in pain as he broke through the ice, then everything was in pain. It was cold so cold he managed to move towards the surface, he could feel his body slowing with each movement and finally it felt as if all the strength was taken from him.

Pips watched as Cornelius crashed through the ice and followed after. His eyes widened as Cornelius tried to swim towards the surface and saw that the Prince was slowing as the ice slowly reformed. Pips narrowed his eyes and broke through the ice as he reached for the prince, the cold burned his skin but he continued on, willing his legs to remain lit to stop the ice from freezing over as he pulled the Prince to safety.

Cornelius trembled as Pips held him tightly, he found himself unwittingly pressing his face against Pips strong chest and let out a sigh of relief as the heat from Pips's soothed him. He felt himself being lifted as Pips said with exasperation "Let's get you somewhere warm…" As Pips carried Cornelius away the ring of Forget-Me-Nots the Prince had been wearing floated away, falling apart as the faded blue petals joined the flakes of snow.

As Pips flew off with the Prince safely held in his arms he was unaware that he was being watched by a certain Beetle. "Hmmnm this is interesting." The Beetle murmured to himself as he watched the strange fairy carry off the fairy Prince "I might be able to get my wings after all, somebody up there likes me!" He smirked to himself as he motioned for his followers to turn around, he had a plan but he needed the help of a certain tenacious yet thick headed toad.

"S-so cold…" Cornelius whimpered as his trembles wracked his frame, he could feel the warmth pressing against him and wrapped around him but it wasn't enough. He looked up pleadingly at Pips, the other fairy's red hair reminding him of a flame and he pleaded "Please…warmth…"

Pips looked down at the young Prince watching as those formerly pink lips started to tint with blue. He knew that he was warm because of the energy he used from the earth. He knew of only one way to share the earth energy and closed his eyes briefly before he gently caressed the prince's face "Alright…but you asked for it." He gave a slight smirk as he leaned in and pressed his lips against the Prince's. His smirk grew when he felt the body beneath him stiffen.

Cornelius hadn't thought he had enough strength to produce the amount of shock he felt when Pips's warm lips pressed against his own. He shivered but there was a glow of green light that surrounded their lips and warmth slowly blossomed in his mouth. He closed his eyes as Pips moved him so that his back was pressing against the soft bark of the log. He gasped when Pips released his lips and revealed a small knife to tear away his clothing "W-what are you doing?" he asked, trying to ignore the fact that as Pips touched his body heat flowed through him, both inside and out.

Pips gave a small grin as he said "You asked for warmth, and this is the only way I know how to share earth's energy." He smirked again as he looked down at the beautifully disheveled form of the prince. He leaned down and kissed down Cornelius's throat, his large calloused hands caressing the bare pink nipples as he moved his body between Cornelius's legs. He closed his eyes and when he opened them his green eyes were luminescent as his legs glowed softly with light. He leaned in and kissed the cold Prince's lips as he gently began to prepare him.

Cornelius flinched in pain when he was so suddenly breeched, but then there was no pain but a flash of pleasure as Pips's fingers pressed against a special part of him .he bit his lip before letting loose a whimper and then murmured "More…"

The next morning Cornelius woke with the warm arms of Pips surrounding him. He blushed as he remembered what had happened the night before. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about it too much. Reasoning with himself that he had to…to…do those things with Pips in order to survive the cold. He tried to ignore the little voice inside of his head that told him he had enjoyed it as much more than a medical procedure.

Pips yawned as he woke; pulling away from the Prince's smaller body he stretched out his arms and let his wings flutter after being still for so long. He turned a charming smile to the Prince and said "Feel better now?" He sat up and prepared to leave. He hoped they found this Thumbelina soon; things were getting too complicated here.

Cornelius was silent at Pips question but he realized that even though he wore no clothes he was perfectly warm. He too got up and stretched his wings, noticing that they no longer emitted the faint golden dust, but when he flew that his legs were a golden color. "Amazing…" he murmured to himself, unaware that Pips was watching in amusement.

Pips shook his head at the Prince's innocence and allowed his eyes one more look over the Prince's body before repairing the torn clothing. After all, the Prince was obviously in love with this Thumbelina girl, why else would he go through all of this?

The Beetle was making his way back to the toad when an idea came to him, he happened to see Ms. Fieldmouse who was one of the most outrageous gossipers that he knew. He knew that he was supposed to have gotten the Prince to use as bait to lure Thumbelina to the Toad, but since the Prince seemed to have a bodyguard with him that made things a bit more difficult.

He smiled slowly as he said with false sadness "Ms. Feildmouse….have you heard that the Fairy Prince was found frozen to death nearby? Such a Tragedy…" He smirked to himself when he saw her eyes light up and asked for more information. Over her shoulder he saw who else but Thumbelina sleeping in the mouse hole. 'Somebody up there really likes me…' he thought maliciously.

The Toad was told by the Beetle that Thumbelina was planning on marrying the Mole. "Mole? What Mole?" The toad demanded, after the Beetle's explanations he still didn't understand the plan. "I marry Thumbelina!" He announced, dragging the protesting Beetle behind him to face the Mole. "No the Prince isn't dead! She just thinks he is! You go down there, sweep her off her feet, and marry her! But don't take me! Do you know what that guy does to Beetles? He stuffs us! He stuffs us and mounts us on his wall!" But the Toad was no longer listening.

The little Jitter Bugs had heard everything and turned to each other "We have to find the Fairy Prince and tell him what's going on! Thumbelina might marry the Toad or the Mole!" They flew off, trying their best to find the Prince in time.

Cornelius was about to take off on his Bumblebee again when the Jitter Bugs finally found him "Prince Cornelius!" They cried. He got off of the Bumblebee and knelt down to listen to what the children had to say. As they told him of the Beetle's lie about him being dead, that Thumbelina had believed it, and now she was going to marry either the Toad or the Mole. The Prince rubbed his temples, wondering how Thumbelina could be so easily led astray.

Pips shook his head and saw the disheartened look on the Prince's face "Well come on already, she isn't married yet." He dragged the Prince onto his Bumblebee and they took off to stop either wedding from taking place. Pips didn't want to admit that there were growing feelings for the Prince blossoming in his heart; he just wanted to return to FernGully.

Cornelius charged towards where the wedding was taking place but his heart wasn't in it. He was thinking that all this time he had been trying to rescue Thumbelina while she had been content to marry anyone who crossed her path. He sighed and found his eyes wandering to Pips more than they should have. So far the exotic fairy had been far more steadfast than his Thumbelina had been. He hoped that he could find her soon so he could remember how in love with her he was and put these doubts behind him.

When the Prince and Pips arrived it was a scene of chaos. Thumbelina was being chased after by the Toad, the Mole, a Beetle, and an apparently randomly selected but well dressed group. He knew there were too many for him to take but prepared to draw his sword before his hand was stopped.

Pips looked at Cornelius and said softly "Go after her, I'll stop them…" And before anymore could be said Pips flew down in front of the Toad. For a second Cornelius's heart clenched at the thought of the handsome fairy fighting with no weapon, but reminded himself again that he was here for Thumbelina and so flew after her.

Pips looked up at the big Toad and tried not to let his fear show. He was never one for fighting but here he was volunteering to fight for another's happiness. He shook his head, perhaps it wasn't another's happiness at all…he found himself strangely at peace with the thought that as long as Cornelius was happy than that was enough for him.

Cornelius caught up with Thumbelina as she crawled out of the ground "Thumbelina!" He shouted hoping that the happiness he had felt when first meeting her would be returning now. He looked her over and found that his heart was strangely still at the sight of her.

Thumbelina looked at the handsome Fairy Prince that had inspired her to run away from the wedding and realized that she didn't want to marry him either. She looked down sadly, she didn't like this. It was too difficult and so far she had only met men who wanted to marry him. She looked up at him with pleading eyes and said "I just want to go home."

Cornelius was surprised at the relief he felt when she said those words and he said softly "Alright Thumbelina." He whistled for his Bumblebee and carried her off towards her home, momentarily forgetting about Pips who had offered to stay behind and fight the battle for him.

Pips winced as he barely managed to dodge the torch that the Toad was swinging. He was only a little relieved that the rest of the group was content to watch the fight rather than participate in him. He let out a cry of pain as he failed to dodge the torch a second time and felt the wood slam against his arm, the fire getting dangerously close to him.

Cornelius smiled as he returned Thumbelina to her home at last and said "I'm sorry that this all happened to you…" She nodded and he realized that he had only been infatuated with the Thumbelina he had met that night. They said their goodbyes and he flew away. As he did so he felt as if he was forgetting something when it suddenly came back to him "Pips!" He whispered.

Pips groaned in pain as he fell once again to the floor. He was sprawled out, his wings limp against his back and his body starting to show the bruises he was earning. "I am definitely not a fighting fairy…" He whispered to himself his heart trembling when he heard a familiar voice shout out "But I am!"

Cornelius was furious when he saw the state that Pips was in and wondered how he could have let his beautiful fairy fight. He paused momentarily when he realized he had called Pips 'his' but it was only a slight pause when he saw the Toad preparing to take another swing at the prone form. Cornelius could barely make out the words that Pips murmured, but when he did he drew his sword. He knew now what he wanted.

The Toad was easily defeated by the Prince and Cornelius flew Pips to safety. Marveling at how much stronger he was at flying now that his legs channeled energy like Pips. He looked down at Pips's face and saw the bruises covering him and that his brilliant green eyes were closed. Cornelius held Pips to his chest and murmured softly "I'm sorry."

Pips woke up and was glad to find that most of the pain in his body was gone. He saw that Cornelius was by his side and before he allowed himself to get too hopeful he asked "Where is Thumbelina?"

Cornelius knew that he had a lot of explaining to do and he said slowly "I took her home…" His eyes traveled over Pips's form and he was glad to see that most of the bruising was gone. He had refused to move from Pips's side since bringing him back to the fairy court. Gently Cornelius took Pips's hand and stroked the knuckles with his thumb as he said "Since I did not bring Thumbelina to the Court… our engagement is still on." He looked up shyly at Pips to see what his reaction would be.

Pips didn't want to get his hopes up on why Cornelius hadn't taken Thumbelina to the Court. He wanted to think that Cornelius had chosen him, but he was afraid that it was not the case. He looked away from Cornelius as he looked around wondering if he would ever see FernGully again.

Cornelius saw the flash of emotion that crossed Pips's face, the hope and then slowly it slipped away. He bit his lip and gently cupped Pips's face turning him to face him "I…I didn't want to marry her…I want you." He knew that he had done the right thing telling Pips how he felt when he saw those brilliant green eyes light up.

Pips was feeling much better and he gave a playful smirk as he leaned in and kissed the Prince firmly on the lips, forcing his tongue into the young Prince's mouth and stroking against the other's tongue until finally he capitulated and moaned. Pips pulled back and was smirking victoriously "I chose you as well." He remembered that he might have to stay here when an idea came to him and he got an impish smile on his face.

Tabitha was wondering how it was possible that she had both won and lost this game against her son. He was marrying the fairy that she wanted, but since there was no real need of him in the Kingdom he was going off to FernGully with Pips to teach the fairies there how to live around humans. His new husband was lifting up the bags and putting them on his shoulders. She narrowed her eyes and knew that this had to be all of his idea.

Colbert smiled softly down at his son, glad that Cornelius was able to find happiness for himself. His eyes wandered to his wife and he had to hold in his chuckle at the look on her face. He shook his head, wondering how many times he would have to tell her not to meddle before she listened. He realized that he could tell her with his dying breath and she would continue on.

Cornelius watched as Pips easily loaded the bags onto his back. Because of the far off region he wouldn't be able to bring his beloved Bumblebee. He shivered at the thought that those strong shoulders were all his. He bit his lip wondering if there was a fairy waiting for Pips to return. He came up to his husband and murmured "Do you think they'll like me?"

Pips turned around at Cornelius's innocent question and looked the young prince over. Since they would be going to a much warmer climate and Cornelius now could channel the earth energies he was wearing a knee length skirt of white flower petals. Pips licked his lips and winked roguishly at Cornelius "I'll have to beat them off with a stick."

Cornelius felt himself blushing at the looks Pips was giving him. He reminded himself that Pips was his husband and thus perfectly appropriate for him to look at his body that way. Before he could think much more Pips pulled him into a kiss that was definitely not appropriate, husband or not. He smiled as he gave into the kiss. This handsomely exotic fairy was all his.

Thank you all so much for reading I hope that you enjoyed it!


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